Draft at WMG 16 APRIL 09

So here are my picks in order...


Pack One
Spearbreaker Behemoth
Necrogenesis
Skeletonize
Jund Panorama
Bone Splinters
Sigil Blessing
Relic of Progenitus
Akrasan Squire
Fire-Field Ogre
Undead Leotau
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
Hindering Light
Savage Hunger
Swamp(Foil)
Forest

Pack Two
Algae Gharial
Naya Charm
Mosstodon
Resounding Silence
Hissing Iguanar
Druid of the Anima
Rakeclaw Gargantuan
Naturalize
Thunder-Thrash Elder
Sighted-Caste Sorceror
Waveskimmer Aven
Cylian Elf
Godtoucher
Goblin Mountaineer
Swamp

Pack Three
Volcanic Fallout
Wall of Reverence
Path to Exile
Rhox Bodyguard
Gluttonous Slime
Rhox Meditant
Quenchable Fire
Yoke of the Damned
Rhox Meditant
Fleshformer
Bone Saw
Corrupted Roots
Reliquary Tower
Salvage Slasher
Forest

The first 5 picks come my way and I start heading down the Jund path, and then it just dries up. I figure that Ward is on my left picking up Jund too; so I start picking up some white, thinking that I may have to pick up some blue as well since those were about the only cards left in the packs by that point.

Tommy is on my left and he passes me good enough Naya cards that I feel confidant picking that up and maybe splashing black.

Third pack makes me glad that I choose the white in my deck with Ward passing me the Wall and Path back to back.

...and here is how I ended up building the deck...

5 Forest
4 Mountain
6 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Jund Panorama
1 Akrasan Squire
1 Resounding Silence
1 Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
1 Bone Splinters
1 Hissing Iguanar
1 Skeletonize
1 Thorn-Thras Elder
1 Algae Gharial
1 Cylian Elf
1 Druid of the Anima
1 Mosstodon
1 Spearbreaker Behemoth
1 Naya Charm
1 Necrogenesis
1 Rakeclaw Gargantuan
1 Sigil Blessing
1 Path to Exile
2 Rhox Meditant
1 Wall of Reverence
1 Volcanic Fallout
1 Gluttonous Slime
1 Rhox Bodyguard


Round 1

Shane

Shane announced before the draft that it was his first time at Win More(I believe that he signed up for his DCI number that night). He tells me that he has drafted with his buddies but that he might take some time in reading the cards.

Game 1

I get stuck on 3 land for the longest time, only getting out a Sorcerer and an Iguanar. He saw that I was having land issues so promptly BBolted my Druid before he became active. I try to take out his Rockslide Elemental by blocking with the Iguanar and using the Blessing, but he counters with Angelsong and I shrug.

So far he has not been too aggressive, so I decide to be patient and wait for the fourth land to hit. It takes a few turns and going down to 7 life before it finally shows up so that my Gharial can come out to play. He keeps coming in with the 3/3 Rocky Elemental and random 1/1. We trade 1/1's and I chump the Elemental to deal 3 and ramp up Gharial to 4/4. Sure it pumps his Rocky but I have the Silence for him next turn so I am not worried. He does add to the stack of the Silence to Soul's Grace it for 6 life up to 22.

Gharial goes to town and takes him to 1 life when he tries to Sylvan Bounty. I add to the stack with a Gluttonous Slime to sac a random guy for one more point off the Iguanar but that is put on hold for the moment with a Lapse of Certainty. Tired of this I go ahead and show the Volcanic Fallout to end this long game.

Game 2

This game sees me get out Iguanar then Wall(which gets the Bant Charm)then Rhox Bodyguard and he doesn't really muster up anything past that.

After Game 1, Adam commented that I had showed a lot of patience in waiting for that fourth land. I wish that I could say that it was a hard call, but my opponent really didn't put any pressure on me even while I went down to 7. The elemental was the only scary creature onboard, and it didn't even become big until I was ready for it to.

Round 2

Ward Allen

Ward says he knows what colours that I went. I shrugged and said that he should after cutting me off. He countered that it was cut off before him and that he did end up shipping me some good white.

"Agreed, sir"

...and off we went.

Game 1

I mull but he gets land screwed this game and I didn't see too much before Sigil Blessing + Naya charm said it was over for him.

Game 2

He starts off faster this time with the Slaughtermaster and Macta Rioters at 3. I don't make any chump blocks yet since I want him to keep pumping mana into his doublestriker instead of laying down more threats. I take a hit that puts me to 11, but I come back with the Wall that nets me 4 off an Exalted Iguanar.

Next turn I block the Riders with the Wall, ready to take 6 from the Slaughermaster, but he Mights the Riders to take out the Wall and then can only pump up to 4 damage. Next turn I let him double-pump before showing the Silence. During his next draw step, I Skeletonize his Riders to try kill it before he possibly drops another land or pull another pump spell out of his hand. Macta goes away and don't fear anything he has on the table so I take over from there.


Round 3

Kenny Castor

He was still playing Tommy after I finished up round 2 and I saw a fair portion of his deck. Some Grixis Unearth guys, Absorb Vis, Malfegor, Cruel Ultimatum, Sharding Sphinx, Grixis Slavedriver, etc.

I figure that I have to get out in front quick if I am going to have any chance at all.

Game 1

I am on the draw and the opener of 6 land + Rhox Meditant simply won't do. I keep a more aggressive 6 and off we go. I think that this is where I threw away the Sigil Blessing early to get his unearth guy in the yard. I was holding the Necrogenesis in hand and dropped it next turn to start eating unearth guys.

I play pretty poorly this game(Like once trying to cycle the Silence before remembering that I decided on not throwing in the blue not to mention the above Sigil play that was probably bad as well) but the deck covers for me and I whittle him down.

I get him to 5 when it starts to look like he will stabilize. He has locked up the ground, I have no card sin hand and it looks like it might just be a waiting game for his Ultimatum or Malfegor.

Naya Charm off the top reads, "You Lucky Bastard!" and we head to....

Game 2

This game sees him struggle a bit with mana then Cycle and Land Cycle a lot trying to get set up for the long game. My wall gets Bone Sharded, Rakeclaw gets Warped then he casts an Oring that can only take my Rhox Meditant since my 5/5 Gharial rolls like MC Hammer. I drop a second Meditant for another card and keep beating down.

At this point, Kenny asks to find that I still have four cards in hand(Thanks Rhinos!) and goes into the tank a bit. He finally lands on cast Malfegor with 3 cards in hand to discard. That can get rid of Gharial and the Rhox he didn't ORing. I figured that it was going to happen, but I was sad to see them go.

The saving Grace to this situation was that he discarded the Ultimatum to Malefegor. That and my hand was Fairly SaucyTM, what with Naturalize, Bone Splinters, Spearbreaker, and....wait for it....Path.

Big M's Triggered ability resolves and I yard my crew before I ask him to trade the 6/6 for a basic land. I also Naturalize the ORing since he is at 8 with no hand and i want to try and wrap this up before he draws too many more cards.

His next card is a Sharding Sphinx, which I already know that I can handle but the icing on the cake is the Iguanar that comes off the top of my deck to get in an extra 2 when I Bone Shards the Thopter Maker. That is enough for Kenny to call it a day.


I mulled 50% of my games, but then again only had to play 6 of them. I think the deck had a good feel and a fine mix of creatures, removal and tricks to get me there.

It has been a while since the last time I was able to put together an undefeated draft. I felt that I was a little more open during the draft and ready to be more flexible than I typically am and that equaled being rewarded with the Wall and Path. He said that he was very unhappy to send them my way, but did so regardless. And back to back had to feel pretty bad. I don't know if I would have done it or not; I neglected to ask what his picks over them were.

I picked up the early Jund Panorama over some quality cards and am quite thankful for it, I just have to remember that. I also passed on some Visionaries through the first 2 packs that I thought about picking up. I think that I like them too much, but I love to have card draw in an aggresive to deck to reload. Thinking about possible Meditants in the 3rd pack meant that I got to pick higher quality cards over the 1/1.

Someday I may end up in 5CC, but so far I have not seen a way to build it with the cards that I have been passed. I am sure that it was just my ineptitude to recognize it on a few occasions. Til I do though, I guess I will just have to keep on the more straightforward approach.

As Always,
DHT

Draft at WMG 09 APRIL 09

I am running a bit behind because of Easter prep and the like.

Here are my picks in order...

Pack One

Scourglass
Agony Warp
Tidehollow Sculler
Agony Warp
Windwright Mage
Viscera Dragger
Blister Beetle
Dregscape Zombie
Dawnray Archer
Etherium Astrolabe
Obelisk of Bant
Deathgreeter
Hindering Light
Lush Growth
Angel's Herald

Pack Two
Resounding Wave
Bone Splinters
Metallurgeon
Windwright Mage
Blister Beetle
Windwright Mage
Etherium Sculptor
Metallurgeon
Guardians of Akrasa
Skeletal Kathari
Etherium Sculptor
Dreg Reaver
Memory Erosion
Island
Island

Pack Three
Drag Down
Faerie Mechanist
Darklit Gargoyle
Master Sphinx
Absorb Vis
Frontline Sage
Faerie Mechanist
Esperzoa
Parasitic Strix
Gluttonous Slime
Zombie Outlander
Salvage Slasher
Scepter of Fugue
Voices from the Void
Mountain

So I took the first pick Scourglass and tried to force it. I never saw one Sanctum Gargoyle and the rest turned out fairly mediocre. I also did not pick up a Panorama early enough, but funnily I did not run into mana issues that it would have solved(maybe one but only if I had drawn early). The Master Sphinx was fun though.

Here is how I mis-built the deck

6 Islnd
5 Plains
6 Swamp
1 Metallurgeon
1 Scourglass
2 Etherium Sculptor
1 Resounding Wave
1 Blister Beetle
1 Bone Splinters
1 Skeletal Kathari
1 Viscera Dragger
2 Agony Warp
1 Tidehollow Sculptor
2 Windwright Mage
1 Darklit Gargoyle
1 Esperzoa
2 Faerie Mechanist
1 Parasitic Strix
1 Absorb Vis
1 Drag Down
1 Magister Sphinx




Round 1

Ward Allen

All three Games he gets out a Charnelhoard Wurm(Foil)(on turn six nost games) and I never find the Bone splinters. I have to make do with Agony warp and some dudes but I can only make this work to my advantage once.

Round 2

JR Cook

In game 1 my flyers keep me from ever getting close to being in trouble and I end the game 22.

In games 2 and 3, I am never really in it. Game 2 I have to discard 5 times before I hit a third land, Game 3 I play 3 spells and the land cycler.

Round 3

Colby with an exalted/esper deck

Game 1

I am behind the whole game and fighting to stay in it. He drops early exalted 1/1's and beats with a flyer that he gets through with Angelic Benediction as my Metallurgeon sighs.

He gets me to 3 life and thinks about his attack. My only relevant card here is the Resounding Wave but his flyer is Welkin Guide. He thinks for a while and does the only thing that can keep me alive, he swings with everybody.

I make blocks to kill off his 1/1 exalted guys, regen the Windwright , kill off my own Etherium Sculptor(to get an artifact in the yard and give my mages flight) and bounce the Guide.

Now I have multiple flyers to block so now his Benediction means nothing and I take him down from 20 with my life gainers.

Game 2

This one is a little more back and forth. I get him to 8 and I let myself go to 1 before I decide to gain 9 life with the Magister. I end up having to make a trade with him, but he did his job and I get the W.


Round 4

Joe Rozier

Joe is at 2-1 and gets paired down against me.

Game 1

He Dragon fodders out a couple of goblins and I drop a Sculptor. He then drops a lightning Talons on one of them and I decide to get cute and make a dumb move. I let him untap and swing in then I block the Enchanted Goblin and cast agony warp to power him down and kill the other. He responds with the Soul Fire and I never pick up anything else to deal with the first striker or his buddies that follow.

Game 2

He gets off to a fast start but I am able to keep it under control. I get to the point where I have 3 turns to draw a land(or 2 turns to draw a sculptor)...Strike 1....Strike 2...now I am at 1 life.

I tell him that all I need is one land off the top. He looks at me confused and can't figure out what I could need it for. I reassure him that one land will do it, he says sure one land for you( to Josh's disbelief..'You never wish for your opponent's outs, Joe!!).

Land...Sphinx...I'll Gain 9 life.

He still has a bunch of beef on the table to deal with, and he is able to get me down to 1 life for the second time this game. But by this time I have things in hand and ride a Windwright mage up in life totals and to victory.

Game 3

He has to mull on the play and doesn't keep much. My turn 2 Tidehollow sees Thunder-Thrash Viashino, Roar, Sigil Blessing, Sigil Blessing. I take the dude and just use my team to beat down.


My Scourglass always seemed to come down one turn too late and I was 1 for 8 I think on the Mechanist. I was able to get Esperzoa-Strix going a couple of times and I also used him with the Tidehollow to keep an eye on my opponent's hand. I didn't have enough straight up removal to keep up with a typical Naya draw and I probably should have fit the second Metallurgeon/Blister Beetle or set it up differently. I only passed one Executioner's Capsule(I think for the first Metallurgeon) and didn't see anything else, not even a Yoke.

The Draft started spicy for me, I really liked what I saw in the first 5 picks, but it petered out a bit. Maybe I should have looked at some other options while I was drafting.

Oh well, I guess I will try again in about 20 hours.

As Always,
DHT